Imperial Obligations
by skywalkersamidala
Summary: Padmé's advisors suggest that she get rid of Vader and make a politically advantageous marriage. The Empress is less than pleased. (Sequel to "Aggressive Negotiations" and "Troubling Implications")


**This is the third and final part of my Empress/Sith Lord AU, and as such there are lots of references to past events, so I'd recommend you check the previous two fics out first if you haven't already (don't worry, they aren't long!). Without further ado, here is some Fluff And Drivel as promised (seriously, even the sex scene is fluffy). Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

Following the twins' birth, Padmé was obligated to resume her imperial duties much sooner than she would have liked. She hated being away from them, though she did manage to keep her meetings in her sitting room for a couple more months before her advisors informed her that she really ought to move them back to the throne room, as she was recovering from her pregnancy more and more with each passing day and therefore growing increasingly less vulnerable to attack.

Even after business returned to the throne room, it wasn't uncommon to behold the Galactic Empress sitting with her Sith Lord by her side, each bouncing a baby up and down in their laps as they discussed politics and trade and the conflict with the Rebellion. Raised voices upset Luke and Leia, so whenever Padmé would calmly turn to Vader, pass him whichever twin she was holding, and wait as he took them both out of the room, fear would strike the hearts of whomever she was talking to as they realized they were about to get the tongue-lashing of a lifetime. Padmé always left the twins in her rooms with the handmaidens when she could tell in advance that a meeting was going to be especially trying.

As for Vader, he stayed on Coruscant as much as possible and skipped more than a few meetings; he had always hated having to go listen to politicians drone on and on for hours on end, and now the twins provided him with a perfect excuse to stay home. Padmé was envious of all the time he got to spend with Luke and Leia compared to her, though Vader argued that they were always much more excited to see her than him because of it. Padmé's advisors began grumbling that Vader was ignoring his professional responsibilities in favor of his personal ones, to which Padmé frostily replied that she would be the judge of that, thank you very much. But she did reluctantly start sending him on assignments again just often enough to appease them, and Vader went with only mild complaining.

Padmé was expecting him back from Alderaan one evening when Luke and Leia were three months old. Vader had only been gone just under a week, but she missed him fiercely. Padmé smiled softly as she gazed down at the twins, who were, for once, sleeping peacefully. She had gotten back very late, but she had been surprised to find the nursery so quiet when she'd poked her head in; Luke and Leia both being asleep at the same time was a rare occurrence indeed.

Just then Padmé heard the door open, and a moment later she felt a pair of arms slide around her waist. She contentedly leaned back into Vader's chest as he kissed the top of her head and murmured, "I'm home."

Padmé smiled and turned her head to kiss him on the lips. "How was Alderaan?"

"Not particularly eventful," he said. "The Organas send their regards. Bail started asking after Luke and Leia as soon as I arrived at our meeting on the first day. I told him not to remind me that I was there with him instead of here with them."

Padmé laughed. Bail and Breha Organa were two of her closest friends, and they loved the twins. They even got along well with Vader, which was a refreshing attitude compared to the way most people cowered in fear when he was nearby—though personally, Padmé was sure the galaxy wouldn't be nearly as frightened of the Sith Lord if they had seen him beaming and cooing softly at a tiny baby in his arms as often as she and the Organas had.

She gave a small yawn; noticing it, Vader began ushering her out of the room. As she allowed herself to be led towards the bedroom, Padmé remembered something she'd realized earlier that day. "You know, I think it's been about a year since the twins were conceived." She flushed slightly as Vader looked down at her curiously. "I don't know, it just occurred to me during an abysmally boring meeting today, so I counted the weeks and I think it all adds up, or pretty close, at least."

"You're right," replied Vader, shutting the door behind them. "It was just before I went to Mandalore, wasn't it?" His grin turned a little wicked. "That time in the storage closet?"

Padmé reddened even more. "Well, I don't know about _that,_ " she argued. "It could have been the night before, or sometime earlier that week."

"I suppose," he conceded, but there was still a slight mischievous glint in his eye that Padmé hadn't seen in a very, very long time, and it stirred something deep inside her, and suddenly she was all too aware that not only had it been a year since the twins had been conceived, but it had also been a year since Vader had last fucked her.

Instinctively, Padmé pulled him in for a slow kiss, one of many they had shared since their reconciliation when the twins were born. And yet in the three months that had passed, they had never gone further; Padmé had spent much of the time recovering from the twins' birth, but even once she had felt ready to have sex again, they hadn't. Now that they had finally reached an equilibrium of sorts in their relationship, Padmé was afraid to push things too far and upset the balance, and she suspected Vader felt the same.

But as she parted her lips to let his tongue slip into her mouth, Padmé realized with clarity that she was sick of the precarious dance they'd been doing for weeks. She pressed herself closer against him, kissing him more hungrily now, and dropped a hand down to hook her fingers in the waistband of his pants.

Vader drew back and looked at her. His eyes were hesitant, but Padmé saw something else in them, too, something she hadn't really seen since that encounter in the closet: desire. "Anakin," she breathed, lips only inches away from his own. "I—I want you. All of you."

His breath hitched slightly, and he cupped her face in his hands, running his thumb along her cheekbone. "Are you sure?"

Padmé nodded fiercely, and a moment later Vader had bent to capture her mouth with his own once more, hands roaming freely up and down her body, the Force swirling around her as her hair started coming out of its complex updo seemingly of its own accord. Padmé sighed, her curls falling down in waves about her face, and she forced herself to pull away from the kiss for a moment so she could tug Vader's tunic off over his head. She eyed his bare chest appreciatively; she had almost forgotten exactly how well-built he was.

But as Vader began fumbling with the numerous hooks and clasps at the back of her gown, it abruptly occurred to Padmé that her own body was far less attractive now than it had been the last time he had seen it. As the fabric slid off her shoulders and started pooling at her feet, she became extremely conscious of all the stretch marks on her skin from her pregnancy, the extra weight that still clung to her small frame. Padmé instinctively hunched in on herself a little, bringing her arms up as if to try and conceal her body from him.

Vader reached out and gently grabbed her arms before she could wrap them around herself, and he then took one of his hands away to tilt her chin up so that she had no choice but to meet his gaze. Padmé felt a small lump form in her throat as she saw the reverence in his eyes. "Padmé, you are the most beautiful woman in the galaxy," Vader murmured, and he pulled her in for one more kiss before moving downwards to worship her body with his mouth.

Padmé clung to him tightly, letting out a tiny gasp each time she felt his lips, tongue, and teeth make contact with her bare skin. She was startled by how quickly he was able to make her wet, but then again, it had been a year since he had last touched her like this. She made a small whimpering noise when Vader pressed a light kiss to her clit, and she tangled her hands in his hair as he grinned up at her.

She let him continue for another minute or so before gently pushing him away and tugging him to his feet. "Not enough," she panted, pulling him close and kissing him deeply. "I need you, now." Padmé ground against him, noting how hard he already was—he had been deprived of her just as long as she had been deprived of him, after all—and Vader groaned into her mouth, his hands flying down to join hers in hurriedly getting rid of his pants.

Padmé started backing up, lips still glued to his, but she'd underestimated how close the bed was and promptly tripped and fell backwards onto it, taking Vader down with her. They lay in a breathless, giggling heap for a moment before Vader untangled himself and knelt over her, lowering his head to kiss her again.

Soon Padmé's hands were impatiently scrabbling at his back as she felt the pressure between her legs grow to an almost unbearable degree. "Anakin, please," she whined, and he made as if to flip them over so she could ride him as she had always done before, but Padmé stopped him, shaking her head. "I want to stay like this. I—I want to look into your eyes."

"As you wish, My Lady," said Vader teasingly, making Padmé snort, though she couldn't help returning his smile. With one last, lingering kiss, Vader drew back and lifted her hips up slightly. Padmé's eyelids fluttered as he slowly entered her, and she whimpered and tightened her grip on him, hearing him give an echoing moan. He moved a little inside her, and Padmé felt a rush of pleasure at the familiar sensation of him completely filling her.

Vader leaned back down again until they were almost nose-to-nose, breaths mingling together as he started thrusting. Padmé cried out, digging her nails into his skin and wrapping her legs around him, urging him deeper. "Anakin," she moaned breathlessly. "Anakin."

"Padmé," he gasped. He was fucking her harder now, and Padmé felt her climax rapidly building. She gazed into his blue eyes, the love and desire there a mirror image of what was in her own heart. They had done this countless times before, and yet it had never been like this. Vader was no longer an ally to be controlled, or a lover to bring her pleasure at the end of the day; he was the father of her children, the man who loved her—and the man whom she loved in return.

Padmé felt her muscles starting to clench up, and Vader's breath was coming in short little bursts; a moment later, they were crying out each other's names as they came almost simultaneously. Padmé pulled him down to kiss him as he fucked them through it, and when he lay down beside her afterwards, she drew him close.

She reached out a hand to trace the angles of his face, smiling slightly. Vader smiled back and adjusted his grip to embrace her more tightly. "I love you, Anakin," said Padmé softly.

He placed a tender kiss on her nose. "I love you, too."

Padmé heaved a contented sigh, snuggling against Vader's chest and feeling his heartbeat thrum through her body, slow and steady. Closing her eyes, she drowsily wondered, not for the first time, how she could ever have wanted to push him away when they fit together so perfectly.

* * *

Padmé was amazed by how quickly the first year of parenthood flew by. To her it seemed that she gave birth to Luke and Leia, blinked, and then suddenly their first life day was approaching. She and Vader were discussing this last fact over dinner a few weeks beforehand when Sabé approached the table, looking grim. "My Lady, earlier today I received some information that I believe you will want to hear."

"Go on," said Padmé warily.

"My source tells me that your advisors have recently been expressing concerns about your, ah, personal life." Padmé's handmaidens also functioned as both her personal bodyguards and spies; when one was Galactic Empress, one could never be sure whom one could trust, even one's own advisors.

Padmé raised her eyebrows. "My personal life?"

Sabé coughed slightly and glanced uneasily in Vader's direction. "I'm afraid they do not believe Lord Vader is a suitable choice for a permanent partner for you, My Lady."

Vader had gone very still and was staring down at his plate. Padmé glowered fiercely. "And what those old fools think of my personal life matters because…?"

"Because they wish you to make an advantageous marriage, perhaps to someone from a powerful neutral system, so that your connection will bring that system under the Empire's control," Sabé finished apologetically. "They plan to bring this subject up with you very soon, I'm told, possibly tomorrow. I am sorry, My Lady, but it seems the lot of them are all in agreement about this. It will be difficult to talk them out of it."

"Marriage," said Padmé numbly. Just then, a wail sounded from the nursery. Vader muttered his excuses, shoved back from the table, and strode off to tend to the twins. Padmé's eyes anxiously followed him; the tension in his posture was palpable.

She sighed heavily. "Thank you for letting me know, Sabé. I suppose I'll have to figure out how to deal with this tonight, in case they do decide to mention it at our meeting tomorrow."

Then Padmé also rose and followed Vader into the nursery. He was standing in the middle of the room, bouncing Leia up and down as her sobs faded into hiccups. Upon seeing his mother, Luke toddled over and started tugging insistently on her skirts, giggling in delight as Padmé swept him up in her arms. Padmé took a few hesitant steps towards Vader. "Anakin—"

"I suppose I'll be moving back into my old room downstairs soon, then," he said, avoiding her eyes.

Padmé's brow furrowed. "I'm sorry?"

"Unless you plan on asking your new husband if he minds sharing your bed with your whore?" Vader asked rather sulkily.

"Stop being ridiculous," Padmé snapped. "You're not my _whore_ , Anakin, and I'm not getting married."

"Your advisors—"

"Oh, kriff my advisors," she said impatiently. "The Empire is perfectly capable of forming alliances without me having to marry anyone, and they know it. They're just trying to find an excuse to get rid of you."

Vader finally turned to look at her. "Maybe they're right, then."

"What?"

"They're your advisors, Padmé. Their job is to give you counsel. If they think I'm not suitable, maybe I'm not."

She stared at him, mouth slightly open, as Luke began playing with her necklace. "Where is this coming from? You've always agreed with me that they're a bunch of idiots most of the time."

Vader shrugged, dropping his gaze again, and Padmé suddenly saw the problem. Her advisors' opinion of him was making him feel insecure. She shifted Luke into one arm, took another step towards Vader, and touched him gently with her free hand.

"Anakin," she said seriously. "Who cares what my advisors think, or what anyone else thinks? None of them matter. All that matters is that _I_ love you. And so do our children," she added as Luke reached out to grab at his robes, babbling incoherently and beaming at him, while Leia dozed contentedly against his chest.

Vader returned Luke's smile with a small one of his own, but he was quiet for a long moment before finally raising his eyes to Padmé once more. "What are you going to do, then? About your advisors. Sabé said they're pretty determined."

"I don't know. Tell them to go to hell, I suppose."

He snorted. "As much as I'd love to see that, you need them on your side, Padmé. You told me yourself that you have to pick and choose your battles with them carefully."

He had a point; she couldn't afford to risk turning them against her by blowing up at them every time they said something she didn't like (which was fairly often). Padmé chewed her lip, thinking furiously. Then she had an idea. "I know," she said. "What if there was nothing they could do to force me to marry someone?"

"How would you ensure that?" asked Vader, looking confused.

Padmé hesitated, then said in a rush, "By already being married."

Vader stared at her. "What?"

"I-I could call an official up here right now, and you and I could get married tonight, and that way my advisors won't ever be able to press the issue." Padmé looked at him nervously. "What do you think?"

He continued gaping at her for several moments before saying, "No."

Padmé blinked. "No?"

Vader sighed, looking a little hurt. "I love you, Padmé. But I'd only marry you if you actually _wanted_ to marry me. I'm not going to do it just as a—a _favor,_ or a convenient way to get your advisors off your back."

Padmé looked at him in dismay; she certainly hadn't meant her suggestion to be so insensitive, though she now recognized it had rather sounded that way. "Anakin, that's not—"

"Never mind," he cut her off, shaking his head. "I don't want to talk about this anymore." Vader stepped away from Padmé to gently lower a sleeping Leia into her crib before walking out of the room. Padmé watched him go, aghast, as she realized that rather than fixing the problem, she had just made everything worse.

Cordé stepped out of her post in the corner of the room and held her arms out without a word. Padmé planted a kiss on Luke's cheek, gratefully passed him over to the handmaiden, and hurried to chase after Vader yet again. She found him in their bedroom, sitting facing away from the door. He didn't turn to look as she entered, but he also didn't stop her from sitting down on the bed beside him and resting her hand on his shoulder.

"Anakin, I'm sorry," Padmé said quietly. "I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. This is something I have to deal with myself, and it wasn't fair of me to put you in that position. Can we just—just forget about the whole thing?"

After a minute, Vader covered his hand with her own and twined their fingers together, and Padmé nearly sighed with relief. "We can't ignore it forever, unless you want to get a new set of advisors."

Padmé chuckled. "Just for tonight, then?" she wheedled.

"Just for tonight," Vader agreed, and after another moment he leaned in to kiss her. Padmé eagerly kissed him back, running her hands through his hair, and let out a startled squeak when he suddenly grabbed her and pulled her into his lap.

"You know," he murmured against her lips. "I can think of an even better way for you to make it up to me."

Padmé tilted her head, considering him, and decided she very much liked the gleam in his eyes. "Would it involve me on my hands and knees before you, Lord Vader, begging you to forgive me?"

He grinned. "It might."

After Padmé had finished apologizing, they lay in comfortable silence for a while, catching their breath. "I don't think I've ever enjoyed asking for forgiveness so much," Padmé said, smirking. "Perhaps I should upset you more often."

Vader laughed and turned his head to nuzzle her hair. After a few moments, Padmé spoke again, more seriously this time. "I really am sorry for earlier, Anakin."

The last remnants of her worry cleared as she saw the softness of the smile he gave her and felt the gentleness of the kiss he placed on her forehead. "It's all right. It wasn't your fault. You were blindsided by everything Sabé told us just as much as I was, and you were just trying to think of a way to fix it. Besides, I overreacted."

"No, you didn't," objected Padmé. "Everything you said was justified. Well, maybe not all that nonsense you were spouting about moving out to leave me alone with my supposed new husband."

He chuckled again, but his smile faded as he bit his lip and lowered his gaze. "It's just…you're an empress, Padmé," said Vader quietly. "You're _the_ Empress. And sometimes I worry I'm not—not good enough for you, not regal enough or important enough, so when I heard what your advisors were saying about me—"

Padmé gently laid a hand on his lips to silence him. "And who do you think would be 'regal' or 'important' enough for an empress? Some stuffy politician who makes me want to kill myself every time he opens his mouth?" She gazed earnestly at him. "You _are_ good enough, Anakin. You're too good, actually. _I'm_ the one who doesn't deserve _you._ "

"That's not true," he argued. "You deserve the galaxy."

"I don't want the galaxy. I just want you," she said softly, cupping his face in her hands and pulling him in for a kiss. When they broke apart again, Vader was looking at her with so much love in his eyes that Padmé felt breathless. She nestled in closer, smiling when he buried his face in her hair once more. As she drifted off to sleep in Vader's arms, Padmé thought contentedly that there was no one else in the entire galaxy whom she could ever imagine being with.

As it turned out, that resolution was to be tested the very next day. Padmé was about halfway through her daily session with her advisors when her senior advisor said, "My Lady, there is a rather delicate matter we would like to discuss with you."

She turned to him, dread filling her stomach. "Then by all means, speak up."

The old man shot an uncomfortable glance towards where Vader was standing at the edge of the room. "We would prefer to speak with you about it privately, My Lady."

"Anything you say in front of me can also be said in front of Lord Vader," Padmé replied coolly.

There was some muttering at this, but her senior advisor, who had apparently been designated as the others' spokesperson, sighed and said, "Very well. As of late, My Lady, some concern has been expressed about some of your, ah, personal relationships."

"Concern has been expressed," Padmé repeated. "Expressed by whom? By you?"

"Well, I—I suppose by all of us, My Lady," said the advisor, looking flustered. "And by…others."

"Others. How very specific."

He coughed awkwardly. "May I speak frankly, My Lady?"

"You seem as though you intend to do so either way, so I might as well give my permission," said Padmé testily.

The man looked as if he was hoping the floor would open up and swallow him, but all the other advisors were determinedly avoiding his gaze, so he heaved another sigh and continued. "My Lady, there are those who feel that Lord Vader—they wonder if he is entirely fit to be cavorting about with you."

A pulse of angry energy swept through the room, and the table of advisors quailed in terror. Padmé looked over and saw the telltale flash of yellow in Vader's eyes. She remembered the way he had looked the night before, so small and vulnerable as he told her he was afraid he wasn't good enough for her, and Padmé was suddenly filled with fury. Her advisors had done that, had made him doubt himself. In that moment, she decided that she didn't care about the consequences. She was going to let them have it.

Padmé rose to her feet and glared down her nose at her senior advisor. "I see. Might I remind you that Lord Vader is the father of the prince and princess? If he is not fit to be 'cavorting about' with me, as you say, does that mean his children are not fit to inherit my throne?"

"N-no, My Lady, of course not," he stammered, aghast. "I-I didn't—a thousand apologies, My Lady."

"Good," said Padmé coldly. "Because that, my friend, could easily be construed as treason."

Her senior advisor appeared on the verge of fainting, and he audibly exhaled as she turned her attention away from him and towards the others. "Is this how you all feel?"

Dead silence ensued, until one brave soul timidly ventured, "With all due respect, My Lady, it may be more prudent for you to make a match that would be advantageous for the Empire. An alliance by marriage could be highly beneficial, and it is your obligation to keep the Empire's best interests in mind, My Lady."

Padmé drew herself up to her full height, which was admittedly not very great, but it still had the desired effect of making her advisors shrink even further into their seats. "I am the Empress, not some bargaining chip to be handed off to whomever my advisors wish," she said loudly. "The Empire has formed plenty of alliances without any marriages being involved, and I do not see why that should not continue to be the case. As for your 'concerns' about Lord Vader, I remind you that he is not someone with whom I am 'cavorting about'; he is my partner and the father of my children. I believe he is more than suitable for these roles, and as long as _I_ think so, no other opinions are relevant. There is nothing you or anyone else could say that would make me leave him. Finally, I must inform you that my private relationships are, quite frankly, no one's business but my own, and you would do well not to meddle in my personal life in future. Now, I am adjourning this ridiculous meeting, and I expect to see all of you back here tomorrow with a better grip on your senses."

With that, Padmé swept out of the room, leaving a frightened silence in her wake as Vader and the handmaidens hurried to follow her. The handmaidens fell into their customary flanks around her, and Vader walked by her side. After a minute, he shot her a crooked grin, eyes blue once more, and said, "Thank you for defending my honor."

Padmé chuckled. "I know I shouldn't have gone off on them like that, but I couldn't help it. Besides, I feel as though I've been putting up with quite a lot of nonsense from them lately, so I think I deserved getting to lash out just this once. And at least it'll make sure they never bring the subject up again."

Laughing, Vader took her hand. "I didn't realize opinions about my relative fitness to cavort about with you were so commonly held. You know, by all those 'others' they mentioned."

She snorted. "As if anyone but my advisors cares whether or not you're fit to cavort about with me. Although I have to say, I'm rather impressed they were brave enough to insult you to your face like that. Usually they're terrified of you."

"They are? Still? After I've been here for over two years?"

"Of course they are. You're a Sith Lord. Everyone's terrified of you, as you know perfectly well."

"Are you?" he asked jokingly.

"No." Padmé smirked. "Nor would anyone else be if they'd heard you beg for mercy as many times as I have."

One of the handmaidens trailing behind them let out a quiet snicker, and Vader flushed. "Well, _My Lady,_ I don't think they'd be so scared of _you_ either, if they'd heard the way _you_ were begging for mercy last ni—"

"Anyway," interrupted Padmé loudly, feeling her own face redden, though she wasn't entirely sure whether it was from embarrassment or from arousal at the memory. "Now that that issue's been dealt with, hopefully we can put all that absurdity behind us. And," she added in a voice low enough for only Vader to hear, "now that I've ended my meeting early, I'm free for a few hours, and the twins should be napping right about now…"

Vader raised an eyebrow. "And what do you plan on doing in all that spare time?" he asked, unable to keep eagerness out of his voice.

Padmé grinned cheekily. "Oh, I've got some ideas I think you'll like."

* * *

The funny thing was, now that Padmé had resolved the marriage question, she found she couldn't stop thinking about it. Whenever Vader looked at her like she was the most wonderful being in the galaxy, or when he sensed if she had a stressful day and immediately hurried over to rub the tension out of her shoulders, or when he sat on the floor making silly faces at Luke and Leia until they howled with laughter, or when he skipped an entire afternoon's worth of meetings to painstakingly bake a cake for their first life day…over and over again, Padmé would think how sure she was that she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him. So why not marry him?

Vader hadn't reacted well the first time she'd asked him. Then again, it hadn't exactly been the most romantic, or even tactful, of proposals. Perhaps he would respond differently if he knew she was asking because she really did want to marry him. On the other hand, _did_ she really want to marry him? What if Padmé woke up one day and realized she didn't love him anymore? She couldn't really picture that happening, but even so it worried her; separation would be so much harder if they married than if they just remained as whatever they were presently.

"You've seemed distracted lately, My Lady," Sabé said one morning as she was doing Padmé's hair. "Is there something on your mind?"

Padmé bit her lip and glanced in the mirror to make sure the room was empty. Several handmaidens had accompanied Vader and the twins on a walk in the gardens, and Dormé was the only other person in the bedroom at the moment. "I've been thinking about some things," Padmé admitted at last. "About—about Anakin."

She saw Dormé look up curiously from where she was making the bed, and Padmé beckoned her over. Her handmaidens had always been good listeners, and they gave excellent advice; Padmé had wondered more than once if it would be acceptable to replace her advisors with them.

"What about him, My Lady?" asked Dormé, coming to stand beside Sabé.

"Do you remember that debacle a few months ago, when my advisors wanted me to marry?" When they nodded, Padmé continued, "Well, I've been thinking about it ever since, and I think—I think I want to marry Anakin, but I'm not sure if it would be a wise move."

"Why not?" Sabé inquired.

Padmé gave a half-shrug. "I don't know. I guess I just—what if I marry him, and then later I realize I've made a huge mistake?"

The handmaidens considered the question for a while. "You love him," Dormé said at last.

"Yes."

"And he loves you."

"Yes."

"Well, what else matters?"

Padmé twisted her head to give Dormé a confused look. "What do you mean?"

"She means," Sabé replied, "don't overthink it, My Lady. We've been by your side for years, and we've never seen you as happy as you've been this past one, with Lord Vader and the prince and princess."

"Marriage is a big step, and it's natural that you're apprehensive, My Lady. And if you truly don't believe that marrying him would be a good idea, then don't do it," finished Dormé. "But don't let a few small doubts stop you from it, if you think it would make you happy."

Padmé mulled over their words. "You're right." She gave them a small smile. "As always."

Her mind raced for another few weeks after the talk with Sabé and Dormé, weighing all the pros and cons of marrying Vader. There were too many pros to count, whereas the only cons she could think of were that it would infuriate her advisors (which, really, was more of a pro) and, of course, the vague fear that she'd regret it someday.

But then Padmé thought back to all the tumultuous months of her pregnancy. Their relationship had gone through hell and back, and it had come out on the other side stronger than she would have ever thought possible. If she and Vader had managed to make it through months of hostility, a near-assassination, and the first year of parenthood, surely they could handle anything marriage would throw their way.

Padmé knew then that she had made up her mind, but she still put off asking him. "What do you think, Leia? Should I marry Daddy?" she murmured one evening, clutching her daughter in her lap in an attempt to prevent her from stealing Luke's favorite toy. Unfortunately, Padmé's efforts were in vain, as both twins had already started figuring out how to use the Force, and she'd been watching resignedly for the past ten minutes as the stuffed animal zoomed back and forth across the room.

But it fell to the ground and was quickly snatched up by Luke when Leia got distracted. "Dada! Dada!" she said happily.

At first Padmé thought the toddler had just picked up on the only word in her mother's sentence that she could understand and decided to repeat it incessantly—she had been doing that a lot lately—but then she realized that Leia was looking over towards the doorway, and Padmé's head jerked up. Panic shot through her as she saw Vader standing there. Perhaps he hadn't heard her question to Leia?

But then she saw the look on his face, eyes wide and mouth open as he stared at her. He had definitely heard.

Padmé let go of Leia, who, remembering her original intent, took advantage of her newfound freedom and tottered over towards Luke and his toy. Padmé slowly rose to her feet and moved to greet Vader. "Anakin," she said, trying to sound casual, though her voice came out a little higher than normal. "I–I thought you wouldn't be back until later tonight."

He continued to gape at her and didn't answer; clearly, he wasn't falling for her act. Finally he spoke, in a voice so quiet Padmé almost missed it. "I heard you, Padmé."

She exhaled loudly, then gave a shaky laugh. "Well, I–I guess that's probably for the best, since I don't know if I would've had the courage to do it otherwise." Padmé took one final step closer and grabbed his hands. "I know my first proposal was, well, awful, and in fact I don't even think it should be considered a proposal at all, it was that bad. But I've been thinking about it ever since, and I realized something." She took a deep breath and clutched Vader's hands tighter. "I think—no, I _know_ I could never love anyone else the way I love you, and I want to be with you, always. So I–I'm going to ask you again, but for the right reasons this time. Anakin, will you marry me?"

Blood roared in her ears as Vader stared at her for a minute, still looking utterly shocked. But then a wide smile spread across his face, and he pulled her in for a fierce kiss. When they broke apart at last to draw breath, Padmé asked rather faintly, "So, is that—is that a yes?"

"Of course it is," Vader replied at once, blue eyes sparkling with joy. "I want to be with you forever, too. I love you, Padmé. I love you so much."

Padmé beamed and was leaning in to kiss him again when they were interrupted by the sound of two toddlers shrieking. Vader sighed and shook his head, smiling, and he and Padmé turned to kneel down beside Luke and Leia, who had torn the stuffed animal in half during their fight over it. Padmé groaned. "They were using the Force to take it from each other and I didn't know what to do, so I just gave up."

Vader leveled the twins with a stern gaze. "What have I told you about using the Force to be mean to each other?"

But they looked so distraught at the loss of the toy (and likely hadn't understood any of his question anyway) that his face softened a moment later and he picked Leia up and hugged her against his chest, kissing her tearstained cheeks, while Padmé did the same to Luke. "We'll fix it, darling. Everything will be all right, Luke, you'll see." She grinned at Vader over Luke's head. "Are you having second thoughts about marrying me and having to deal with all this for the rest of your life?"

He laughed. "If I didn't want to deal with all this for the rest of my life, I would've run off to the Unknown Regions the second you told me you were pregnant, and you would've been thrilled."

"I might have convinced you and myself that I was thrilled," replied Padmé, chuckling, "but I wouldn't have been, really. I loved you even then, I think. I just hadn't figured it out yet."

Vader gave her a soft smile. "I'm glad you did figure it out."

Padmé smiled back, thinking in amazement how close she'd come to not having any of it, to not having the family she loved so dearly. "So am I."

* * *

From the start, Padmé was adamant that she didn't want a big ceremony. "But, My Lady, you're the Empress!" Sabé exclaimed indignantly. "The galaxy will want the imperial wedding to be a major event."

"I don't care what they want," said Padmé rather petulantly. "It's _my_ wedding."

"And mine," Vader added.

She turned to him. "So you want to get married here, in an ostentatious ordeal with the entire population of Coruscant lined up outside as it's all broadcasted across the HoloNet for the whole galaxy to see?"

He shuddered. "Definitely not."

"Exactly my point."

In the end, they decided to keep their engagement a secret until after they were married. "Everyone will be annoyed, but it'll be too late for them to force us into having a huge spectacle of a wedding," Padmé said wisely.

As soon as Padmé could manage to escape Coruscant for a few days (which, as Galactic Empress, was no easy feat), she, Vader, the twins, and the handmaidens traveled to Naboo under the pretense of wanting to show Luke and Leia their mother's home planet. Padmé and Vader were married by the lake at Varykino, with their children and the handmaidens as the only witnesses.

"So, if I'm married to the Empress, does that make me the Emperor?" asked Vader playfully as they lay in each other's arms that night.

"I think you'll have to content yourself with 'Emperor Consort' at most, my dear husband," Padmé replied, kissing him on the nose. "Though it would be rather amusing to see the fit my advisors would throw if I named you Emperor."

Vader snickered at the thought. "Well, will you be 'Empress Skywalker' from now on, then, instead of 'Empress Amidala'?"

Padmé snorted. "I most certainly will not. 'Empress Skywalker' sounds terrible. No offense."

"None taken. It really does sound bad," he said, laughing. "Not nearly regal enough to suit my beautiful wife."

She smiled and snuggled up against him. "It's so strange, now, to think about that night we first met," she murmured after a minute.

"You mean the night you fucked me to within an inch of my life and made me swear loyalty to you in the middle of it?"

"Yes, that's the one," Padmé said, grinning. "It's just—at the time I never would have imagined things ending up this way. Not in a thousand years."

"Me neither," agreed Vader. "I didn't think I'd even get to sleep with you again, let alone seduce you into bearing my children and becoming my wife."

"If any seducing was done, I think it was _me_ who seduced _you,_ " scoffed Padmé.

"I suppose you certainly _have_ done that," Vader chuckled, and he kissed her, long and gentle. "I love you, Empress Amidala."

"I love you too, Lord Vader."

* * *

 **I had such a blast playing around in this AU! Thanks so much to everyone who's checked it out, whether you've read all the parts or just some of them. Your feedback has been so encouraging throughout the process :) I hesitate to say I'll NEVER return to this AU because, again, I love it SO MUCH, but this is definitely the conclusion to the main story and at the moment I'm not intending to write anything more. I'd totally be willing to explore more ideas IF I should have any at some point in the future, but for right now, I'm planning to move on and work on some other stuff. Thanks again for reading!**


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